Bible: Gen 6:5-8:22

6:5But the Lordsaw1thatthe wickednessof humankindhad become greaton the earth. Everyinclination2of the thoughts3of their minds4was onlyevil5allthe time.66:6The Lordregretted7thathe had madehumankindon the earth, and he was highlyoffended.86:7So the Lordsaid, “I will wipehumankind, whomI have created, from the faceof the earth– everything from humankindtoanimals,9includingcreatures that move on the groundand birdsof the air, forI regretthatI have madethem.”

The Judgment of the Flood

6:11The earthwas ruined19in the sightof20 God; the earthwas filledwith violence.216:12Godsawthe earth, and indeed22it was ruined,23forallliving creatures24onthe earthwere sinful.256:13So Godsaid26to Noah, “I have decidedthat allliving creaturesmust die,27forthe earthis filledwith violencebecause of them. NowI am about to destroy28them and the earth.6:14Make29for yourself an arkof cypress30wood. Makerooms in the ark, and cover31 it withpitchinsideand out.6:15Thisis howyou should makeit: The arkis to be 450 feetlong, 75 feetwide, and 45 feethigh.326:16Makea roof for the arkand finishit, leaving 18 inches33from the top.34Puta doorin the sideof the ark, and makelower, middle, and upper decks.6:17Iam aboutto bring35floodwaters36onthe earthto destroy37from underthe skyallthe living creaturesthat havethe breathof lifein them.38 Everythingthatis on the earthwill die,6:18but I will confirm39my covenantwithyou. You will enter40the ark– you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wiveswithyou.6:19You must bringintothe arktwoof everykind of living creaturefrom allflesh,41maleand female, to keep them alive42withyou.6:20Of the birdsafter their kinds, and of the cattleafter their kinds, and of everycreeping thingof the groundafter its kind, twoof everykind will cometoyou so you can keep them alive.436:21And youmust take44for yourself everykind of food45thatis eaten,46and gatherit together.47It will befoodfor you and for them.

7:6Noah60was 600yearsoldwhen the floodwatersengulfed61the earth.7:7Noahenteredthe arkalong withhis sons, his wife, and his sons’ wivesbecause62 of the floodwaters.7:8Pairs63 of cleananimals, of uncleananimals, of birds, and of everythingthatcreepsalongthe ground,7:9maleand female, cameintothe arktoNoah,64justas Godhad commandedhim.657:10And aftersevendaysthe floodwatersengulfed the earth.66

7:11In the sixhundredthyearof Noah’slife, in the secondmonth, on the seventeenthdayof the month– on that dayallthe fountainsof the greatdeep67burstopen and the floodgatesof the heavens68were opened.7:12And the rainfell69 onthe earthfortydaysand fortynights.

7:13On thatverydayNoahenteredthe ark, accompanied byhissonsShem, Ham, and Japheth, along with hiswifeand his sons’ threewives.707:14Theyentered,71 along with everyliving creatureafter its kind, everyanimalafter its kind, everycreeping thingthat creepsonthe earthafter its kind, and everybirdafter its kind, everythingwith wings.727:15Pairs73of allcreatures74thathave the breathof lifecameintothe arktoNoah.7:16Those that enteredwere maleand female,75justas Godcommandedhim. Then the Lordshuthim in.

8:1But Godremembered89Noahand allthe wild animalsand domestic animalsthatwere withhim in the ark. Godcaused a windto blowover90the earthand the watersreceded.8:2The fountainsof the deepand the floodgatesof heavenwere closed,91and the rainstopped fallingfromthe sky.8:3The waterskept recedingsteadily92from the earth, sothat they93 had gone down94 by the endof the 150days.8:4Onthe seventeenthdayof the seventhmonth, the arkcame to restonone of the mountainsof Ararat.958:5The waterskept onreceding96untilthe tenthmonth. On the firstday of the tenthmonth, the topsof the mountainsbecame visible.97

8:13In Noah’s sixhundredand firstyear,112in the firstday of the firstmonth, the watershad driedup fromthe earth, and Noahremovedthe coveringfrom the arkand sawthat113the surfaceof the groundwas dry.8:14And by the twenty-seventhdayof the secondmonththe earth114was dry.

8:20Noahbuiltan altarto the Lord. He then tooksome of everykind of cleananimaland cleanbirdand offeredburnt offeringson the altar.1188:21And the Lordsmelledthe soothingaroma119and said120tohimself,121 “I will neveragaincurse122the groundbecauseof humankind, even though123the inclinationof their minds124is evilfrom childhoodon.125 I will neveragaindestroyeverythingthat lives, as I have justdone.